Are you a comedy fan?
The Joke Gym happens in the back room at Zapata Vive at 7 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month. Bring your friends for a great evening of anything-goes comedy. Free parking, no cover charge, just lots and lots of laughs.
Are you a comedian?
Thanks to the 200+ comics who have performed at The Joke Gym, our open mic has become very popular. Performers come from Riverside, Long Beach, Orange County and the San Fernando Valley for their five minutes of Joke Gym love. Comics often tell us The Joke Gym is their favorite open mic.
NEW! SIGN UP FOR A SPOT VIA LOTTERY
Comics have been getting to Zapata Vive crazy-early to sign up. We appreciate the determination, but showing up at 4 or 5 p.m. for a 6:30 p.m. sign-up only makes sense if the show's audience will contain people who can book you. This is Arcadia, people.
We'll be trying lottery sign-ups for the September and October shows. If it works, we'll continue with the lottery. If not, we'll adjust accordingly.
• At 6:30, we'll collect intro cards.
It does not matter if you arrived at 6:29 p.m., or 4:15 p.m., or if you've been camping out on the sidewalk since the last show. Do not submit an intro card for a friend who is parking the car or "on the way."• At 6:45, we'll draw 20 names.
Those comics will get 5-minute spots, in the order drawn. (Each producer gets a spot because it's our show, darn it.)If you want an earlier or later spot, find a comic who is willing to trade with you—before the show starts.
If we have a lot of comics in the house, we might draw a few additional names and start the show early.
• At 7 p.m. we'll start the show.
Lots of energy, lots of new material, and a 9 p.m wrap-up. Feel free to bring your notes, tape recorder and water on stage.
SUPPORT OUR VENUE
Please plan to purchase a beverage or a food item to support our venue.
We won't get bumped for a group of paying customers if we are paying customers. Without a free venue, we have no show. Support Zapata Vive!
WORK OUT NEW MATERIAL
We call our open mic The Joke Gym for a really good reason: it's a friendly, supportive place to work out new material. The emphasis on "new."
Sure, you can use your five minutes anyway you want, but performing new material and fine-tuning jokes is what open mics are for. We're all ears, and your fellow comedians will appreciate hearing fresh material.
RESPECT THE LIGHT
Our big red light goes on (solid red) when you have 1 minute left.
It starts flashing when you're time is up.
GUEST MC SLOTS
If you're participated in our open mic at least once, and want to try MCing, email The Joke Gym for the MC guidelines. If you'd like to be considered, let us know. Our room is the best place to try new things.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
The Joke Gym is produced by comedians, for comedians. We do not make money on this show, and in fact have spent money on equipment and supplies. We want it to be the best open mic experience possible, for both novices and working professionals.
GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK
We think the lottery will be easier and more fair to performers. If not, we'll make further adjustments in November. We want to put a good show with a minimum of stress for both performers and producers.
If you have ideas or suggestions, please email The Joke Gym (Both Scott and Paula will see your message.)